A six-run 2nd put ended this one early as Syracuse belted four home runs in an 11-4 smackdown of Rochester. Chris Rahl’s two-run HR started the big inning and a bases-loaded walk ended the scoring binge. Eury Perez led off the 3rd with a solo shot, his sixth of the season after entering 2013 with a career total of eight. Corey Brown’s solo shot in the 8th, his second big fly of the night, plated the 11th Chiefs run. Tanner Roark got the win with four runs allowed on five hits, no walks, and five strikeouts over six innings.

Harrisburg scored in each of the first five innings and cruised to a 12-3 win over Akron. Starter Nathan Karns went eight strong innings, giving up a pair of runs on a trio of hits and walks while fanning seven to tie departed Taylor Jordan for the team lead in pitching wins. He threw 106 pitches, 70 for strikes. Steve Souza missed the cycle by hitting the ball too far too often, with a pair of doubles, a triple, and a home run to lead the 17-hit onslaught. Roster moves: OF Destin Hood activated from the 7-Day DL; UT Sean Nicol placed on the 7-Day DL; C Sandy Leon placed on the 7-Day DL, retroactive to 7/13; C Brian Jeroloman activated from 7-Day DL, reassigned from Harrisburg.

The Suns offense steamed the Crawdads pitchers for 21 hits in a 15-2 rout. Every batter hit safely, seven had multiple hits, and four had three or more. “Help Me” Wander Ramos singled three times, doubled once, and drove in two. Stephen Perez hit the only Hagerstown home run, a grand slam in the 9th. Nick Lee got the win with a run on two hits and two walks while striking out five. Travis Henke was the first man out of the ‘pen, striking out two in the 7th that was mistakenly attributed to pinch-hitter Bryan Lippincott, who had entered the game in LF during the inning.

Tri-City exploited a two-out error to score four in the 2nd go up 5-0, en route to a 9-3 win over Auburn. Casey Selsor lost for third time in six appearances (four starts), peppered for eight hits and charged with five runs over three innings, with no walks and one strikeout. The Doubledays racked up 12 hits but just twice in fourteen chances with runners on 2nd or 3rd, stranding nine of them. James Yezzo went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and a run driven in to lead the offense.

GCL Nationals vs. GCL Marlins — PPD
Rain postponed today’s game until Monday, when the G-Nats and G-Marlins will rematch with an 11 a.m. doubleheader in Jupiter, FL

Syracuse — ALL-STAR BREAK
Zach Walters went 1-for-4 with a run scored and two strikeouts while making three assists and two putouts at shortstop, as the International League defeated the Pacific Coast League, 4-3. Syracuse returns to action with a two-game road series against Rochester before returning home for another two against the Red Wings, then four against Louisville.

Taylor Hill turned in his fifth straight quality start for the Senators, but lost as the offense fell one run short, 4-3 to the Rock Cats. Hill gave up three runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk while striking out two. Harrisburg mustered just seven hits total, with all three runs scoring on outs. Carlos Rivero and Justin Bloxom were the only two hitters to reach base twice, both going 1-for-3 with a walk.

Potomac outhit Lynchburg 12-7 but only won 2-1. The Hillcats turned six double plays, including an unusual unassisted double play as Cutter Dykstra struck out but interfered on the ensuing stolen base attmept. Blake Schwartz turned in yet another quality start, the only run coming on a solo HR as he let up just five hits, no walks, and fanned three over six innings. Rob Wort pitched two scoreless innings for the hold (no. 3) while Robert Benincasa danced around a single and two walks in the 9th for the save (no. 6). Michael Taylor singled and doubled twice, and drove in what proved to be game-winning run in the 6th as both he and Adrian Sanchez (3-for-3) had hits in each plate appearance. Roster move: RHP A.J. Cole activated from TIL.

The Hickory Crawdads put the pinch on the Suns, shutting out Hagerstown 6-0 on two hits to take first place in the Sally League North. Brett Mooneyham gave up five runs on five hits over five innings for the loss. The killshot came with two outs in the 3rd when Lewis Brinson broke open a 2-0 lead with a three-run homer off Mooneyham, who walked three and struck out five. Wander Ramos and Stephen Perez were the only two Suns batters to hit safely, each singling one in three at-bats.Roster move: LHP Justin Thomas reassigned from Potomac.

Auburn 3 Tri-City 1
• Johansen 4⅔ IP, 3H, R, ER, 2BB, 6K
• Bafidis (W< 1-0) 1⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, BB, K, 1-0 IR-S
• Napoli (SV, 3) 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Ballou 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI
• Gunter 2-4, R
Three Doubledays pitchers made a three-run top of the 2nd stand up as Auburn defeated Tri-City, 3-1. Jake Johansen was an out short of qualifying for the win, letting in the Valley Cats sole run on three hits and two walks over four and 2/3rds innings. The Nats first pick of the 2013 Draft struck out six. Cory Bafidis finished the 5th and pitched a scoreless 6th for the win. David Napoli closed it out with one hit, no walks, and three K's over the final three frames for ths save, his third. Cody Gunter led the hit column with a 2-for-4 night as the Doubledays managed just six hits total. Roster move: RHP Joel Barrientos placed on the 7-Day DL; LHP Cory Bafidis reassigned from Hagerstown.

Rehabbing Shawn Pleffner drove in three in the first two innings as the G-Nats blanked the G-Marlins, 5-0. Jefry Rodriguez got the win, tossing five scoreless innings with four hits allowed, no walks, and seven strikeouts. Rehabbing RHPs Pat Lehman and Cameron Selik both turned in a scoreless inning before Hector Silvestre closed it out with two straight 1-2-3 innings. Rafael Bautista singled three times, scored twice, and stole three bases to the lead the lineup. Roster moves: Pleffner, Mike McQuillan assigned from Hagerstown, Selik assigned from Potomac for minor-league rehab.

A seven-run 2nd busted the open a 2-0 game as the D-Nats, who swept a doubleheader yesterday (*ahem*), won their third straight game. 18-y.o. Venezuelan Deibi Yrizarri got the “W” four runs (three earned) allowed on six hits and a walk while striking out one over five innings. The D-Nats pounded out 16 hits total, led by “Fred” Aguero, who went 4-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored.

The Potomac Nationals Booster Club is holding its annual Silent Auction this Saturday at Pfitzner Stadium. This is the primary fundraiser for this group, which provides food, housing, and general assistance to the players, their friends, and their families. They also sponsor monthly awards and recognize players with in-season birthdays. In short, the club helps make life just a little easier for the young men striving to make the journey from Potomac to Washington.

Robbie Ray couldn’t make it out of the 4th, leaving with a 3-2 deficit after throwing 74 pitches in three-plus innings. His teammates took him off the hook with a three-run rally, taking a 5-3 lead and cruising to a 6-4 win. Ray walked three and gave up six hits, including a solo HR in the 4th while striking out two [insert GBI curse remark here]. Matt Grace got the win, stranding the runner he inherited from Ray with a double play in the 4th and working around a walk and a single in the 5th. The Senators pounded out 17 hits as five batters notched multiple hits, led by Jerad Head at 4-for-5. Roster move: RHP Ryan Mattheus transferred from Hagerstown to Harrisburg for MLB rehab. He gave up the 4th Rock Cats run on three hits and two walks while pitching the 6th and 7th innings.

Potomac — OFF DAY
Potomac returns home seven games as they host the last-place Lynchburg Hillcats for four and then Salem for three. Despite a 2-5 mark on their swing through North Carolina and Southern Virginia, the P-Nats trail the Blue Rocks by one game in the Carolina League North.

Hagerstown — OFF DAY
Hagerstown embarks on a seven-game swing through North Carolina, facing off against first-place Hickory for three, then four against fourth-place Greensboro. The Crawdads and Suns remain just a half-game apart in the second half — just as they were last month when the first half ended.

Auburn — OFF DAY
Yesterday was the first scheduled day off and just the third day off overall for Auburn. The Doubledays’ begin a 19-game stretch with a five-game, 800+ mile roundtrip roadtrip to Tri-City for two and Burlington for three.

GCL Cardinals vs GCL Nationals — PPD
Rain postponed this one until July 24th, when the G-Cards and G-Nats will play two in Jupiter, FL.

Luis Reyes struck out eight while Melvi Salazar set down the order in the 7th for his eighth save as the D-Nats shut out the D-Rojos, 3-0 in opener of a doubleheader. Reyes allowed just four hits and walked none while notching his third win. Kelvin Gutierrez and “Fred” Aguero both went 1-for-3 with an RBI to lead the six-hit, three-walk offense.

The D-Nats scored 10 unanswered runs before the D-Rojos answered with four in the top of the 6th as they went on to win, 12-5 in Game Two. 18-y.o. Venezuelan Jose Morales got the win in his second start, allowing an unearned run on six hits, no walks, and one strikeout. The D-Nats offense racked up 10 hits and eight walks in six turns at bat, with Thomas Alvarez leading the way by reaching base three times with a single and a pair of walks while scoring a run, stealing a base, and driving in two.

Jimmy Van Ostrand’s solo shot in the 10th, his second of the game, ended the game in extras as the Senators edged the Rock Cats, 3-2. Blake Treinen got the start, giving up both New Britain runs on six hits and four walks while setting down two on strikes over five innings. Matt Swynenberg, Aaron Barrett, and Tyler Herron combined for five innings of scoreless relief, with Herron getting the win for pitching the 10th. Harrisburg was held to four hits, with Carlos Rivero’s RBI double accounting for the other Senators run.Roster move: RHP Blake Treinen activated from the 7-Day DL.

Sammy Solis’s return to the P-Nats rotation helped end a four-game slide with a 9-4 victory over Salem. Solis allowed one hit and one walk over four shutout innings, striking out two in his first High-A start since June 6. Richie Mirowski got his team-leading eighth win with two scoreless innings of relief as the first man out of the ‘pen. Michael Taylor went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored and four runs batted in to lead the Potomac offense exploded for 14 hits, including seven doubles and a triple.Roster moves: LHP Sammy Solis activated from the 7-Day DL; RHP Colin Bates placed on the 7-Day DL.

Khayyan Norfork’s RBI single in the 3rd was not enough for Hagerstown as Rome scored three unanswered runs for a 3-1 win and a 2-2 series split. Starter Ian Dickson took the loss, his second, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three. Bryan Lippincott was the sole Sun with multiple hits as the three Braves pitchers held Hagerstown to just six safeties overall.

After rallying to within one with a three-run 6th, the Doubledays gave it away with a three-run 8th as the Statem Island Yankees completed the sweep with a 7-4 win over Auburn. Starter Joel Barrientos lost for the third time in four starts, giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out two. Seven batters hit safely, with James Yezzo, Cody Gunter, and Andruth Ramirez each singling twice as the Doubledays totaled 10 hits but left on 10 baserunners.

David Ramos failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in the 7th, as all five came around to score in a 6-3 G-Nats loss to the G-Cards. Lucas Giolito made his third GCL start, tossing three scoreless with three hits allowed, one walk given up, and three strikeouts. Bryan Mejia went 2-for-4 with two RBI to extend his hit streak to 10 games as the G-Nats pounded out 10 hits and stole five bases for the game.

Despite outhitting the Cubs 12-5 and gunning down five of seven would-be base thieves, the D-Nats lost to the D-Cubs, 5-3. The ten walks issued by D-Nats pitchers, five by starter Maximo Valerio, of course didn’t help. Nor did the two-run HR surrendered by losing pitcher Jonathan Aquino. “Fred” Aguero went 4-for-5 to lead the D-Nats offense, followed by Aldrem Corredor who reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk.

RBI doubles by Tyler Moore in the 6th and 8th innings erased a 1-0 deficit and gave the Chiefs a 2-1 win respectively. It was the third straight for Syracuse as it enters the All-Star Break. Mike Crotta got the win with two scoreless frames in the 8th and 9th innings. Starter Danny Rosenbuam went the first six, allowing a run on five hits and two walks while striking out eight, a season high for the 25-y.o. southpaw. Moore, Chris Rahl, and Eury Perez each went 2-for-4, accounting for six of the eight Chiefs hits. Kris Watts transferred from Harrisburg Senators; UT Jeff Kobernus placed on the 7-Day DL.

A three-run Erie 7th broke open a 4-2 lead for the Seawolves as they went on to defeat the Harrisburg Senators, 7-3. Starter Rob Gilliam took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four. Paul Demny’s return to the mound was marred by three runs on three hits and a walk in the course of 2/3rds of an innings (five batters faced). Jimmy Van Ostrand and Jason Martinson both hit solo shots as the Senators foundered in the clutch with an 0-for-11 mark with RISP and seven runners left on base.RHP Paul Demny activated from the 3-Day TIL.

Make that a season-long skid of four in a row as Salem downed Potomac, 5-1. Making his second start since his second dropdown to High-A, Marcos Frias put up a Low-A pitcher’s line of three runs on eight hits with no walks and two strikeouts for the loss. Adrian Nieto’s RBI single following Michael Taylor’s one-out double broke up the shutout bid in the top of the 8th as the P-Nats were unable to capitalize on six walks issued, twice hitting into double plays and stranding 11 baserunners. A.J. Cole threw six of ten pitches for strikes and got the last two outs for the save at the 2013 Futures Game yesterday afternoon. Need 964 more words about it? Adam Kilgore’s got you covered.

A four-run 6th broke open a 2-1 game as the Suns took their second straight against the Braves, 7-3. Ryan Mattheus got the rehab “start” and threw his inning in the first, giving up a run on a hit, aided by a steal and a wild pitch. Pedro Encarnacion relieved and threw five no-hit innings before giving up a leadoff double in the 7th. He finished with a run on two hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts for his team-leading seventh win. Sam Palace matched his 2012 RBI total in his first game of the season. The 27-y.o. bullpen catcher went 2-for-4 in with 3RBI in his season debut to lead the 10-hit Hagerstown attack.

Auburn built a 4-0 lead early but the Doubledays ‘pen faltered badly, giving up five runs over fine innings for a 7-6 loss to the Staten Island Yankees. Austin Voth allowed two runs on four hits in his second NYPL start, walking none and setting down five on strikes. Mike Sylvestri suffered the loss, his first, giving up three runs on two hits and three walks over the 7th and 8th innings. Tablesetters Greg Zebrack and Cody Dent combined to go 5-for-7 with a walks, two stolen bases, and two RBI to pace the Auburn offense, which compiled 12 hits but went just 2-for-13 with RISP, stranding nine runners.

GCL Nationals — OFF DAY
A 5-1 week improved the G-Nats season mark to 16-4, best in the GCL, and 5½ games better than the second-place G-Marlins (10-9) in the GCL East.

DSL Nationals — OFF DAY
The D-Nats broke a three-game skid with a 4-3 win over the first-place D-Cubs, who they play today, then home-and-home games vs. the Rojos (Reds), and Orioles2 with an off day on Saturday before the DSL All-Star game on Sunday the 21st.

The Hagerstown Suns rallied for five runs with two outs in the first inning, taking advantage of mistakes both mental and physical, en route to a 7-4 victory over the Rome Braves.

Like many big innings, the genesis is often subtle. Estarlin Martinez beat out an infield single on a high tapper to third. Brandon Miller broke his bat, but fisted it into shallow right field for another two-out hit.

A balk pushed both runners over one base, and “Help Me” Wander Ramos made Rome’s 20-year-old starter Wes Parsons pay for worrying more about the runners than about him with a double down the left field line for a 2-0 lead.

A walk to Bryan Lippincott once again set up a force at any infield base. Braves 3B Eric Garcia froze up on grounder off the bat of Khayyan Norfork and committed the dreaded double error, booting it for one, throwing it past 1st for another, which let in the third Suns run and put runners on 2nd and 3rd for Craig Manuel.

The eighth batter of the inning cashed in the mistake with a single to left to complete the five-run sequence as Stephen Perez struck out to end the frame.

Kylin Turnbull, who began the year in Potomac and was dropped down twice, couldn’t stand the prosperity of a 5-0 lead. After setting down the side in order in the 1st on three groundballs, he let in a run on three singles in the 2nd, gave up a leadoff HR in the 3rd, and allowed two more runs in the 4th before finally putting up a zero in the 5th.

He left after five innings thrown, giving up four runs on 12 hits, walking none and striking out four. He would end up the winning pitcher nevertheless. It’s fashionable nowadays to try to explain away that many hits and blame the defense, especially sight unseen, but that wasn’t the case (it rarely is). The almost-24-year-old remains timid in long counts and gets hit when he gives in as a result.

Bryan Harper only got the hold, but was the most effective pitcher on either team. The brother of you-know-who faced seven batters and got seven outs, giving up a “hit” when Martinez and Perez converged but couldn’t snare a shallow pop to left field as Martinez dropped it, but Perez quickly recovered to gun down the runner trying to turn a gift single into a double.

Travis Henke replaced Harper with one out in the 8th and gave way to Gilberto Mendez in the 9th. The diminutive Dominican with a big arm gave up a leadoff hit, then retired the next three on groundballs to secure his fifth save.

Nos. 4-5 batters Miller and Ramos combined for five hits, two runs, and two doubles as Hagerstown piled up 10 hits total and tacked on insurance runs in the 3rd and 8th innings.

The win keeps pace with first-place Hickory, keeping Hagerstown a half-game back in second place and a game ahead of third-place West Virginia. Pedro Encarnacion gets assignment this afternoon in Game 3 of the four-game set, which concludes with a Monday morning getaway game.

A five-run first would be more than enough for Ryan Tatusko to win his 3rd game as the Chiefs smelted the Iron Pigs, 8-3. Tatusko went seven-plus innings and allowed two runs on three hits and six walks while striking out five. Chris Rahl racked up his second five-hit game of the season, falling a homer shy of the cycle with three runs scored and two driven in. Eury Perez and Josh Johnson both singled twice and doubled as the Chiefs collected 17 hits total on the night.

Erie’s Jon Link baffled Harrisburg for nine innings while Ryan Perry served up a walkoff HR as the Seawolves edged the Senators, 2-1. Starter Nathan Karns struck out nine and gave up a run on three hits and two walks but needed 104 pitches to get through six innings. Brian Goodwin’s triple following a two-out error plated the only Senators run as Link went the distance with no walks and eight strikeouts.

Salem scored three times before rain delayed the game once, then ultimately ended it in the bottom of the seventh, as the Red Sox won 3-1. Matt Purke lost for second time in three starts, giving up all three Salem runs on six hits and a walk while striking out one. Billy Burns, who left Friday’s game after being hit by a pitch, went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and a stolen base.Roster move: RHP A.J. Cole placed on 3-day Temporary Inactive List (Futures Game).

A two-spot in the 1st and three more in the 4th were more than enough as Staten Island easily defeated Auburn, 6-1. Jordan Poole’s solo shot in the last of the 9th broke up the shutout bid, but it was only the sixth Doubleday hit. Deion Williams was lit up again, charged with five runs on six hits and three walks over three and 2/3rds for his fourth loss in five starts. James Yezzo was the sole Doubleday with multiple hits, going 2-for-4. Roster moves: RHPs Andrew Cooper, Ruan Ullmann reassigned from the GCL.

With two runs in their last three “ups,” the G-Nats overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the G-Mets, 6-4. Travis Ott got the start and and gave up a run on two hits and two walks over two and 2/3rds while striking out two. Matt Derosier got the win in relief, Philips Valdez the save; it was the first for both this season. Drew Ward and Willie Medina combined for six of the G-Nats 14 hits, with Ward driving in two and Medina swiping two bags. Roster move: RHP Pat Lehman assigned from Harrisburg for minor-league rehab.

The D-Nats rallied from a 3-0 deficit with four unanswered runs, capped off with two in the 9th as they beat the division-leading D-Cubs, 4-3. Yorlin Reynoso got the start and was charged with all three runs on two hits and four walks. He struck out three over three innings. Jose Morales got the win by pitching a 1-2-3 eighth, Melvi Salazar the save for a scoreless 9th. “Fred” Aguero led the hit column with a single and a double in four at-bats and scored twice, including the game-winner on a passed ball (the tying run scored on a wild pitch).

The RailRiders erased an early 6-1 Chiefs lead with four in the 6th and one in the 7th. The two teams traded zeroes into extras when a Sharknado struck rain halted play at the end of the 11th. The two teams will resume play when they next meet on August 6th in Syracuse.

Steven Souza’s HR in the 1st was all the Sens would need as four pitchers combined to shut out the SeaWolves, 2-0. Taylor Hill evened up his won-loss record at 2-2 with six scoreless innings, giving up five hits, no walks, but striking out just one. Aaron Barrett got the last four outs for his 19th save. Harrisburg piled up 10 hits to Erie’s six, with Jerad Head and Carlos Rivero both going 2-for-4.Roster moves: RHP Blake Treinen placed on 7-Day DL, retroactive to 7/5; C Kris Watts reassigned from Syracuse.

All seven runs scored on just three swings, as Salem outhomered Potomac 2-1 in a 4-3 victory. Michael Taylor’s three-run blast in the top of the 1st was negated by Matt (yes, the son of Rich) Gedman’s Earl Weaver special in the bottom of the 2nd. Stefan Welch’s solo shot in the 3rd proved to be the gamewinner. Starter and losing pitcher Brian Rauh gave up all four Salem runs and six hits total over five innings, walking two and striking out two. Taylor went 2-for-4 overall while Adrian Nieto reached base three times with a single and two walks as the P-Nats racked up eight hits total. Roster move: LHP Justin Thomas transferred from Auburn.

Rome loaded the bases with three straight singles with one out off Cody Davis in the 8th and greeted Derek Self with a fourth, turning a 5-4 deficit into the eventual winning score of 6-5 over Hagerstown. The comeback was the second of the game as the Braves took a 4-1 lead after two innings that the Suns erased with three in the 5th and one in the 6th. Starter Nick Lee got the no-decision with a line of four runs in five hits and four walks over six innings while striking out seven. Five separate players had RBIs as the Suns scored five times on eight hits, with Estarlin Martinez leading the attack with a 2-for-5 night.Roster move: OF Wander Ramos activated from 7-Day DL.

A leadoff double, a botched sacrifice, and an intentional walk loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th for Wilmer Difo, who delivered a sacrifice fly for a 4-3 walkoff for Auburn. The overmanaging helped secure the first professional win for David Napoli, who set Brooklyn down 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th. R.C. Orlan got the start and allowed all three Cyclones runs on six hits and a walk over the first six innings while fanning seven. Difo also doubled and tripled in the game, scoring twice while going 2-for-4 to lead the Doubleday offense. Roster moves: LHP Todd Simko, RHP Will Hudgins retired; IF Matt Foat reassigned from Hagerstown.

A five-run 5th broke open a 1-0 game as the G-Nats shut out the G-Mets on three hits, 7-0. Ryan Mattheus struck out the side in the first in his first appearance since breaking his hand. Wander Suero tossed five scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk while setting down two on strikes to earn the win. Rafael Bautista and Randy Encarnacion both went 2-for-4 with a walk to pace the G-Nats 10-hit, four-walk offense. Roster move: RHP Ryan Mattheus assigned from Washington for MLB rehab.

The D-Yankees1 scored six times in the final three innings in an 11-2 beatdown, the third straight loss for the D-Nats. Luis Torres suffered his third loss without a wain with five runs given up on seven hits and a walk over four and a 1/3rd innings. The 18-y.o. Venezuelan struck out four. Pedro Mendoza was the sole D-Nat to get multiple hits, going 2-for-4. 17-y.o. Edwin Lora got his first professional home run, a solo shot in the 6th.

This is probably overdue, but after a long stretch of baseball (14 games in 17 days from June 21 to July 7), it’s been “catch up” time at the home office of NationalsProspects.com.

A little more than two months ago, I predicted that the Potomac Nationals were on the verge of breaking out. Turns out I was right, but by no means did I foresee a team that’s been winning roughly two out of three ballgames since then (38-19). What’s been perhaps more interesting is that it’s been done despite a suspect bullpen (though it’s been better of late) and some significant turnover via promotions.

A year ago, there was considerable bitc…er, complaining about the lack of promotions, particularly with Matt Skole, Brian Goodwin, and Alex Meyer. While injuries have played a part in a lot of guys “movin’ on up,” this year has seen a lot more movement than in previous years. I’m not entirely backing off my mantra of a level per year, but it’s enough for me to not scoff (now, just sniff) at the suggestion of any more promotions this summer.

Enough vamping… let’s revisit the P-Nats position-by-position:

FIRST BASE
Defensively, Kevin Keyes doesn’t get enough credit for the strides he’s made. I suspect a lot of that has to do with the stagnation on offense and the drop in power from last summer. Still an all-or-nothing hitter, and the K rate has actually crept up.

SECOND BASE
Adrian Sanchez has recently reversed what to my eyes has been steady decline in defense, particularly in his throwing. He’s put in time at 3B and SS, too, but 2B is where he belongs. Offensively, he also seems to be stuck in gear. He’s become more of a singles hitter, quite good actually at placing the ball to the gaps, but it’s clearly cost him what little power he had shown previously.

SHORTSTOP
Since the departure of Jason Martinson, this has become something of a revolving door — veteran IF Francisco Soriano, Cutter Dykstra, Sanchez have all played there. Soriano is the best choice if your focus is on winning vs. development, but I suspect it’ll continue to be a rotation of sorts until/unless an infielder is brought up from Hagerstown.

THIRD BASE
Cutter Dykstra has played here the most, but has been played at 2B and SS more frequently since his return from the DL. He continues to be a streaky hitter and his defense at third has had some hiccups lately. Like Sanchez, the power has dropped while the average has risen and has shown a “knack” for hitting into double plays.

LEFT FIELD
It seems that Billy Burns has been trying some to get away from the small ball, and he’s had mixed results. For every gap line drive there’s been a weak flyball to the opposite field. I suspect this will be an ongoing process as the team prepares him to play for the next level where the fielders and pitchers will be much more difficult to bunt on and slap-hit against.

CENTERFIELD
Michael Taylor had a tremendous stretch from mid-May to mid-June, but has cooled off in July. He’s gotten a lot better at taking outside pitches the other way versus waving and missing. The defense remains strong and steady, perhaps not quite up to the standard of his predecessor (Eury Perez) but above most of his peers in the Carolina League.

RIGHT FIELD
This remains a split with Caleb Ramsey and Randolph Oduber, though “the Groovin’ Aruban” seems to be losing time to Ramsey, and in part to Adrian Nieto, as he’s spending less time at DH when he’s not starting in right field. Defensively, it’s no contest — Oduber is capable of playing anywhere in the outfield with decent range and strong, albeit sometimes erratic arm. Ramsey is merely adequate and best suited to LF. Offensively, Ramsey seems to be passing Oduber in terms of consistency and power. He seems to never give less than 100 percent, which explains in part why he’s gotten so many mentions the past couple of seasons. One gets the sense that Ramsey has to compensate for his shortcomings with that kind of doggedness. Likewise, Oduber hasn’t been able to stay on the field long enough for his skills to catch up to his potential. Time, however, is not either one’s side.

CATCHER
Barring an injury (and that’s a huge qualification for the position) Nieto will set a career high for a single season in games caught, played, and just about every offensive category (well, maybe not nose hairs). He’s really turned a corner on offense, though it’s been nearly all as a left-handed batter (.315/.397/.493, 8HRs vs. .217/.245/.326, 0HRs). Defensively, he does everything well but keep the ball in front of him.

This is not new, unfortunately. His 12 passed balls in 56 games as a catcher is similar to the 15 in 70 last year, and 15 in 50 in 2010 (in 2011 he had eight in 41). This is significant because minor-league scorekeepers are often blase about differentiating between passed balls and wild pitches. Given that this is the first year he’s seen significant time as a DH, I suspect the Nats care more about getting his bat ready now and will worry about plugging this hole in his game later.

Cole Leonida remains a decent backup and continues to show good pop, but while playing more often, the gap between him and Nieto has begun to show itself. Still, I’ll take a backup who’s reliable on defense and can hit .250-.270 and slug .500-.550 versus the .210-.240, .300-.350 that’s more typical.

BENCH
Soriano, Justin Miller, and Mike Gilmartin rarely sit more than two games in a row. There doesn’t appear to be a system of platooning, so absent knowing the precise directives being handed down from the powers that be, manager Brian Daubach gets the credit for shuffling guys in and out and keeping the engine running smoothly.

STARTING PITCHERS
Three of the team’s April starting five are gone — Taylor Jordan, Taylor Hill, and Robbie Ray. Yet the organization has replaced them with relative ease, which is very reminiscent of 2008, when a slew of pitchers came and went before Memorial Day, most notably Jordan Zimmermann, Adrian Alaniz, and Craig Stammen. Only Ross Detwiler stayed the whole year.

A.J. Cole seems to be the Detwiler for this year’s club, though not quite as inconsistent or maddening (Cole, for example, has yet to get lifted for hitting the pitch limit for a single inning). Two months ago I cautioned folks that he’s liable to be streaky, and indeed he has been: five quality starts out of the last ten, but also five-inning starts where he’s given up five, six, and seven runs.

Blake Schwartz has followed a common pattern… early on, the league was baffled by his ability to change speeds. After getting a look, they’ve done better the second time around. Still, this is dropping down from 7-8IP, 1-2R outings to 5-6IP, 2-3R efforts. Still more than good enough to win in this league. He’s given up some longballs of late, but the walk rate remains steady, which is critical for a pitcher that doesn’t have blow-you-away stuff.

Beyond these two is a bit of mystery right now — Brian Rauh has started four games after spending most of his time in Hagerstown as a reliever. Ivan Pineyro, went three times before getting traded. Matt Purke has gone twice. Sammy Solis has begun throwing in the GCL, and may return, but quite frankly, it’s entirely possible that Brad Meyers could make an appearance as well.

THE BULLPEN
Roughly 15 guys have appeared primarily as relievers. Only three have managed to stay here the whole time — Richie Mirowski, Greg Holt, and Colin Bates. As good as the P-Nats have been, it’s frightening to think how much better they’d have been if the ‘pen had blown half as many saves as it did in the first half.
Considering that the starting pitching is probably not going to be as strong, they’re going to have to be if the team is to take both halves and/or do some damage in the playoffs.

So far, so good. Holt and Mirowski have done better in the second half. Bates hasn’t been quite as good, but gets a pass since he was on the DL for three weeks in June, not to mention how one bad outing takes a long time to even out. Robert Benincasa, who essentially swapped places with Derek Self, has converted every save chance he’s gotten thus far, though it’s been marked with some Cordero-esque flair (luck).

Veterans such as Rob Wort, Marcos Frias, and Rafael Martin have been added more recently. How long they’ll stay is another matter. In years past, it’s been a starter that’s been dropped down to fill the void (e.g. Erik Davis in 2011, Rob Gilliam in 2012), but with Harrisburg not in need of relievers, it’s possible that they’ll be the ones to act in that capacity.